Israel's top soldier has called for an end to the situation which prevents Israeli officials from visiting Britain for fear of being arrested for war crimes

Ashkenazi masterminded the three-week assault on Hamas in Gaza in 2008 (Tal Naveh/IDF)
The head of Israel’s armed forces has called for an end to the “bizarre
situation” in which his officers cannot visit Britain without fear of arrest
for war crimes.

In his first media interview since becoming chief of the general staff of the
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) more than three years ago, Lieutenant-General
Gabi Ashkenazi said the two countries’ close cooperation in the fight
against terror was being undermined when Britain was a target for
extremists.

“I recognise that this is not the policy of the British government,” said
Ashkenazi, 56. “Nevertheless, this is a most unfortunate situation, in which
the presence of such officers, those at the forefront of the fight against
terrorism, was not accepted in the very places in which terror has struck.”

Speaking to The Sunday Times at his Tel Aviv headquarters, Ashkenazi, who
masterminded the three-week assault on Hamas in Gaza that began in December